Decontaminating solution



LE "SNTAREIJATENG SGLUTitJP- .iohn B. .l'acltsen, as

Army No Drawing. Fried May 4, 195%, S 3 (llaims. (tll. 2"2-i5 (Granted under Titie 35, US. {lode {1952), see.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a new composition which has the capability of decontaminating all known persistent chemical warfare agents.

Blistering agents such as the mustard gases are well known for their corrosive efiects on human flesh. Nerve gases such as Tabun (dimethylarninoethoXycyanophos phine), Sarin (methylisopropoxyflurophosphine), others have received much publicity recently as to their deadly efiects on humans. Most of these agents are persistent in nature and must be destroyed as soon as possible after they have ben disseminated in order to eliminate their toxic effects.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide a composition which can decontaminate all types of known persistent chemical agents.

Another object of this invention is to develop a composition which will decontaminate some biological agents as Well as chemical agents.

Another object of this invention is to develop a formulation stable under all climatic conditions.

Another object of this invention is to develop a formulation of compatibl components having reactivity at low temperatures.

Another object of this invention is to develop a formulation having an adequate viscosity for spraying and mixing with the agents on the contaminated surfaces.

Another object of this invention is to develop a formulation which will produce no corrosive effects on metals and negligible corrosive efiects on other common maerials.

Other objects and uses of this invention will appear hereinafter in the following detailed description.

This invention results from a need for a decontaminating material which can be successfully employed against all known persistent chemical agents. Prior to instant invention the mustard gases were decontaminated by DANG which is a 6 /4% solution or" 1.3-dichloro-5,5-dimetl1ylhydantoin in acetylene tetrachloride. The nerve gases were decontaminated by a caustic solution. Both DANG and the caustic solutions are very corrosive to metals, and DANC has a further disadvantage because it is toxic. Because of these disadvantages, the decontamination proccdures are more complicated in that the decontaminating solutions must themselves be expeditiously removed from metallic materials. Furthermore the supply problems involved are greatly encumbered by the fact that two decontaminating materials are required for decontaminating these persistent chemical agents.

I have devised a decontammating solution that consists of by weight sodium hydroxide 149%, Z-methoxyethanol otherwise known as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether 20 to 40% and an amine 50-79%, either a primary, econdary or tertiary amine but preferably diethylenetriamine or ethylene diamine or a mixture of the two amines. The purpose of the amines is to aid in breaking down the mustard agents and the nerve agents into harmless decomposition products. The ethylene glycol monomethyl ether gives the solution the desired viscosity and dissolves the NaOH. The NaOH has the purpose of increasing the reaction rate of the constituents. Because of special milier. No. sense r Patented Fish. Llfi, E93

tary requirements the best over-all formulation was found to be DS-2 which is a mixture of diethylentriamine/ethylcne glycol monomethyl ether/NaOI-l in a 70/28/2 ratio respectively. Other possible formulations within the ranges stated above, however, are intended to be covered since all of these solutions decontaminate the persistent agents. These different formulations are not as good as the selected formulation DS2 because of poorer physical characteristics such as viscosity, rate of reaction, etc. The characteristics of 138-2 are set forth in the following tables to shown the reasons for its selection as the best formulation within the stated range.

TABLE I Reactivity of Decontaminations Solutions, DS-Z, With Agents Agent neutralized at indicated Quantity Temoertime in minutes Agent otagsnt ature,

used 1 0.

1 Percent by weight added to DS-Z solution.

Data in Table I show the DS-2 solution will decontaminate 2.5% H, 2% GA, 10% GB and 10% EA1701 at 25 C. At low temperatures (-25 C. to 30C.) the solution will decontaminate 0.5% H, 1% GA and 2% GB.

In this table, H stands for mustard and the GA (Tabun), GB (Satin) and EA1701 are specific types of nerve gases.

Data in Table I show that the solution had less reactivity with GA than GB. Personnel were of the opinion that the reactivities should be the same, and that in the case of GA, decomposition products in large quantities were interfering with the analysis. To prove the solution was more than adequate from a field standpoint, painted metal panels were contaminated With GA and decontaminated with DS-Z solution. Thirty minutes after decontamination, reduction of vapor hazard was determined. Results are given in Table II.

TABLE II Decontamination of Painted Metal Panels Contaminated With GA [0.3 ozJsq. yd. GA in paint] Reduction of GA vapor from panel compared to cmtrol panel 30 minutes after applying I S-2 solution,

Method of applying DS-2 solution to panel percent Spray 99. 3 Spray (BS-2) solu plidg) Swab 100 Brush c 100 TABLE HI TABLE V Corroszonof Metals by Decontammatmg Solution, DS-Z Viscosity of Decontaminating Solution,

Corrosion rote at25 C. Visual -obsorvation alter brushing 5 Tempe a- Vigogity, Metal (96hr. in.- solution on rr-etal panel and allowtum, e 1 cp mersion), ing solution to remain on suriac milsflu l for 60 hr. at 25 C. V

ay 25 7.2 32.2 45 t) No effect. 10 65 0 Darkened, no corrosion. 95 Alzirrinum alc d 0 No effect. 106 Aluminum 248'! 0 232 Magnesium 0 Slight discoloration, no corrosion. 405 3 775 l 3 c L A number of materials, such as sateen and wool cloth, 15 several rubbers and several plastics were immersed in Nora.s ecific gravity was 0.9800 9s) tbs IDS-2 s-olution for hours cl-lange in tensile Flash point of DS-2 solution was determined in a. i izg g g sg 1:3 vlsual observations were made Penslay-Martens closed cup, electrically heated, ASTM Data in Table W Show that the DS-Z solution is in 20 flash P t Flash P 1 7 (175 general not harmful to cotton cloth, plastics, rubbers, sflmmon is such that a f 6m W001 is dlssolved by the Solution exp os on azar s s ould be encountered on er e couoi ions. TABLE Painted and unpainted metal panels (6 in. X 6 in.) The Effects 0 Decontaminating SolutiOmDS-Z, on Cloth, 25 Fomammated with HD and GA to the muowmg Plastics and Rubbers After 24-Hour Immersion at densl'flssi 25 C.

HD--unpainted panels-3 oz./sq. yd.

- strength 30 r r I percent Before After 0A painted panels 0.3 oz./sq. yd. 1n paint.

a The panels were placed in a vertical position and either ltl f:fiiffit'flli -li 3:33:33: 3:33:33: Dissolved. p y h solution or brushed with 1384 ggg if} g tion. When the panels had drained (approximately 5 Neoprene rubber: I 4 oi a1 35 minutes) they were placed in a container with an air ggg 'gfig 0 31 31 Unaffected velocity of 5 mph. over the contaminated face of the i jg ggg' gg g D0, panel. The etiluent air was sampled with bubblers and Bakelite: fibre fined the contents analyzed for HD and for GA. Results are given in Table Vi.

TABLE VI Decontamination of Painted and Unpainted Metal With DS-Z Solution Concentration of agent vapors for the indicated condition, mmgjl.

7 ED GA Time after deeon- 1 tamination, min. Unpaiuted metal Painted metal Unpaiuted metal Painted metal Sprayed D S-Z Sprayed D S-2 Sprayed D S-2 Sprayed D S-Z Control with brushed Control with brushed Control with brushed Control with brushed DEF-2 on D 3-2 on D S- on DS-2 on 125 0. 5 O 97 22 21 18 0 0 10. 2 98 0. 5 0 59 20 19 17 O 0 10. 2 71 0. 5 0 49 9 16 17 1 0 10. 2 0.5 0 47 7 11 17 1 0 6. 6 53 0. 5 0 42 6 7 15 1 0 7. 7 43 0.5 0 39 4 4 15 (l 0 7. 7 29 4 4 15 O 0 5. 6 27 3 2 15 O 0 3. 9 20 2 2 l3 0 0 3. 9 19 2 1 S. 5 i] 0 3. 9 l5 1. 5 1 8i 5 (I 0 ll 9 14 0. 6 0. 4 6 0 0 (J. 8

Nora-Air velocity over panels, 5 m.p.h.

Data in Table VI show that DS-Z solution is an eiiective H and G agent decontaminant for painted and unpainted surfaces whether applied by spray apparatus or brush.

The results of the many tests show that both mustard and nerve gases are decontaminated satisfactorily by DS2, that DS-Z is not corrosive to metals under normal conditions, that in general DS-Z is not harmful to cotton cloths, plastics and rubber; that it is sprayable down to 25 F., that DS-2 is extremely stable under all climatic conditions in cheap steel containers, and because of these advantages, it is the best of all the decontaminating solutions. All of the other decontaminating solutions within the ranges stated previously will also decontaminate all known persistent chemical agents. These solutions, however, offer in one form or another some disadvantages that limit their usefulness in all types of conditions for which our country must he prepared.

I claim:

1. A composition for decontaminating surfaces of all known persistent chemical warfare agents which consists of a mixture by weight of NaOH1 to ethylene glycol monomethyl ether20 to 40%, and ethylene diamine50 to 79%.

2. A composition for decontaminating surfaces of all known persistent chemical warfare agents which consists of a mixture by weight of NaOH-l to 10%, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether to and diethylenetriamine-SO to 79%.

3. A composition for decontaminating surfaces of all known persistent chemical Warfare agents which consists of a mixture by weight or diethylenetriamine, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether and NaOH in a 78/20/2 ratio respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A COMPOSITION FOR DECONTAMINATING SURFACES OF ALL KNOWN PERSISTENT CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS WHICH CONSISTS OF A MIXTURE BY WEIGHT OF NAOH-1 TO 10%, ETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOMETHYL ETHER -20 TO 40%, AND ETHYLENE DIAMINE-50 TO 79%. 